Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Wolverines Dominate to Capture Second Straight Big Ten Championship
5/16/2021 2:05:00 PM | Rowing
» Defending its 2019 conference title, Michigan captured consecutive conference championships for the first time since 2003-04 with gold medals in six of seven races.
» The program has now finished first or second in the Big Ten in 16 of 20 conference seasons.
» Michigan captured 191 of a possible 192 points, a program record and the second-highest all-time score.
» U-M is automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship, marking the 13th straight year.
Site:Â Indianapolis, Ind. (Eagle Creek Park)
Event: Big Ten Championships
First Varsity Eight Finish: 6:25.744 (1st of 8)
U-M Result: 1st of 8 (191 points)
Next U-M Event:: May 28-30 -- at NCAA Championships (Sarasota, Fla.)
• Photo Gallery
• Five Wolverines Land on All-Big Ten Team
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan rowing program put on a show at the Big Ten Championships on Sunday (May 16) at the Eagle Creek Reservoir. The Wolverines thoroughly dominated the conference regatta to capture consecutive Big Ten titles for the first time since 2003-04. The varsity eight and varsity four boats swept, and altogether, the Maize and Blue was victorious in six of seven events, capturing an incredible 191 of 192 available points to set a new program standard for the second straight year.
Weather was near-perfect for racing with cool temperatures. The skies were cloudy, giving a uniform overcast, but waters were glassy and winds were not a factor across the 2,000-meter course. It had been two long years since a Big Ten Champion was crowned, and the Wolverines were dogged in their determination not to let that title from their grasp.
U-M truly put forth a dominating display. The Wolverines took a lead in nearly every race and held off all challengers time after time. Entering the final race of the day, the first varsity eight, U-M had accumulated 119 points with Ohio State, the next-closest team, at 104. The Wolverines needed to win the race or finish second if the Buckeyes somehow came out ahead. As was the tone in the rest of the day's events, U-M seized its own fate and the 1V8 earned Big Ten gold to secure the team's first-place finish. In the most high-leverage race of the day, the Wolverines dug deep and left nothing on the water. For a senior-laden roster, it was a perfect finish to a tumultuous two-year stretch.
"I'm really proud of this team," said head coach Mark Rothstein. "Today's performance is such a testament to our senior leadership and their resolve to never give up. There were times that things looked bleak for us this year, but this group kept coming back and fighting through adversity and today they are champions."
Like all programs, U-M overcame the cancellation of the 2020 spring season and battled COVID-19 restrictions and difficulties throughout the 2021 campaign, which set the team behind in its training.
"This whole year has felt like a race against time," said Rothstein. "We were so behind where we normally are and we've been playing catchup. This is the fastest we've been, and we're excited to get even faster in the next 10 days or so. Today was a really good step, and we're going to enjoy this victory."
The drama of the 1V8 race boiled down to the Wolverines, Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights. With 72 points on the line, the three crews did battle up and down Eagle Creek Park Reservoir. Ohio State led in the early strokes, but U-M had drawn even and began its first move ahead of the 500-meter mark. Not long after, U-M went up half a boat length on the Buckeyes, as OSU failed to respond to the Wolverines' call. Rutgers began to push OSU as U-M went up a few seats while the teams crossed the halfway point of the race. The lead became steady around two seats for U-M at 1,250 meters, but Rutgers began moving into the Buckeyes and vying for second place. U-M had to show serious strength to hold off the Scarlet Knights, who upped their stroke rate in the closing 500 meters. The Wolverines did just that, and in a near-photo finish, U-M crossed at 6:25.744, 1.44 seconds ahead of Rutgers with OSU in third.
One race earlier, in the 2V8 event, U-M looked to expand on a nine-point lead it had built over Ohio State in the team standings. A victory would mean 48 points and would tee up the 1V8 boat to secure the team title in the final race. The Wolverines used that focus to channel a close finish and earn the win. U-M took the lead position early in the race, with Rutgers about three quarters of a length behind U-M near the 750-meter mark. Through the halfway point of the race, the Buckeyes began chasing down the Scarlet Knights while the Wolverines kept both boats at a distance. While they jockeyed for second place, U-M upped its stroke rate and pushed open its lead on the field. Both boats responded and pushed back, and with about 1,250 meters to go, the U-M coxswain sat near the OSU three seat. The Wolverines gave another call, improved their positioning, and maintained that distance across the finish line with a time of 6:37.713 and OSU in second place, 1.814 seconds behind.
Before the varsity eights took care of business, the U-M day was lifted from a sweep by the fours boats that included two dominating performances.
The 3V4 boat took an early lead and wasted no time putting itself in winning position. U-M had a boat-length lead just 250 meters in and began really rowing away, putting open water on the field at 750 meters in. It was a blowout performance, and even the race commentator remarked that U-M's third four would be competitive in most 1V4 races. The formula was near-exact in the 2V4 race, with U-M putting open water on the field before the halfway point of the course and running away from the rest of the field in the latter half. The two boats posted margins of victory of 12.564 (3V4) and 14.108 (2V4) seconds, respectively, providing the Wolverines with their two most lopsided results of the morning.
The 1V4 boat completed the sweep in a tighter race. U-M took on the familiar spot of pack-leader in the early going. Unlike the previous two races, the field was up for the challenge this time. Indiana and Ohio State were within a few seats of the Wolverines as all three crews approached the 1,000-meter mark. OSU really upped is stroke rate but U-M kept them at the same distance for over 1,000 meters of the race, holding off every Buckeye move. OSU started to take a seat off U-M's lead over the third 500 meters and the Wolverines responded. Over the last 250, U-M kept cool and strong and pushed through the finish line in 7:20.540, with OSU 1.664 seconds behind. That win gave U-M four race wins out of five and added 24 points to add to the team total. U-M was in commanding position headed into the final two events, worth a possible 120 points for two first place finishes.
The day began with novice races. The 2N8 boat was chasing Rutgers and Ohio State early in the race, but pulled itself near-even with the top duo near the 500-meter mark with Wisconsin giving chase. The Buckeyes made a move before the halfway point of the race, and the Wolverines responded but needed to begin eating into a five- or six-seat lead Ohio State had built. Every time the Buckeyes made a move, U-M responded, but in the end could not catch OSU at the finish line. U-M settled for a silver in the first race of the day, but it cost them just one point in the team standings (seven to Ohio State's eight).
The 1N8 boat picked up Michigan's first win of the day. U-M wasted no time finding the front position and was four seats ahead of the field through 250 meters from lane four, creating a neat V-formation in the water. OSU was a half-length behind U-M as its closest competitor. Approaching the halfway point, the Buckeyes made a move and gained a seat or two on the Wolverines, but it was still U-M in full control. The top two boats put open water on the field, but U-M kept in command. Every Buckeye move was responded to in kind, and they could never eat into the Wolverine lead in a significant way. U-M crossed 2.182 seconds ahead of the Buckeyes with a winning time of 6:46.44.
Up next, U-M will travel to Sarasota, Fla., for the NCAA Championships from Friday through Sunday, May 28-30. As the Big Ten conference champion, U-M is an automatic qualifier for the NCAA postseason regatta.
Results
Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN (191 points)
2. Ohio State (158)
3. Rutgers (143)
4. Wisconsin (116)
5. Indiana (87)
6. Minnesota (80)
7. Iowa (55)
8. Michigan State (30)
First Varsity Eight
1. MICHIGAN -- 6:25.744
2. Rutgers -- 6:27.184
3. Ohio State -- 6:29.472
4. Wisconsin -- 6:40.340
5. Indiana -- 6:41.892
6. Minnesota -- 6:44.922
7. Iowa -- 6:47.056
8. Michigan State -- 6:54.560
Second Varsity Eight
1. MICHIGAN -- 6:37.713
2. Ohio State -- 6:39.527
3. Rutgers -- 6:40.327
4. Wisconsin -- 6:49.889
5. Minnesota -- 6:53.815
6. Indiana -- 6:54.605
7. Iowa -- 6:57.131
8. Michigan State -- 7:13.581
First Varsity Four
1. MICHIGAN -- 7:20.540
2. Ohio State -- 7:22.204
3. Rutgers -- 7:30.732
4. Indiana -- 7:33.906
5. Minnesota -- 7:43.640
6. Wisconsin -- 7:45.218
7. Iowa -- 7:52.374
8. Michigan State -- 8:04.884
Second Varsity Four
1. MICHIGAN -- 7:26.420
2. Ohio State -- 7:38.984
3. Rutgers -- 7:41.220
4. Wisconsin -- 7:48.750
5. Minnesota -- 7:58.672
6. Michigan State -- 8:03.894
7. Iowa -- 8:07.448
8. Indiana -- 8:09.584
Third Varsity Four
1. MICHIGAN -- 7:24.468
2. Rutgers -- 7:38.576
3. Wisconsin -- 7:51.776
4. Ohio State -- 7:57.584
5. Indiana -- 8:14.614
6. Iowa -- 8:26.086
7. Michigan State -- 8:56.896
First Novice Eight
1. MICHIGAN -- 6:46.444
2. Ohio State -- 6:48.626
3. Indiana -- 6:59.140
4. Wisconsin -- 6:59.158
5. Iowa -- 7:05.544
6. Minnesota -- 7:09.078
7. Michigan State -- 7:21.564
8. Rutgers -- 7:48.096
Second Novice Eight
1. Ohio State -- 6:59.091
2. MICHIGAN -- 7:05.503
3. Wisconsin -- 7:14.059
4. Rutgers -- 7:15.253
5. Iowa -- 7:19.567
6. Minnesota -- 7:21.685
Michigan Lineup
1V8: Charlotte Powers (coxswain), Annika Hoffmann, Tayla-May Bentley, Lilia Duncan, Madison Byrd, Kate Burns, Grace Collins, Ariana Shokoohi, Julia Gehlert
2V8: Alexandra Gabel (coxswain), Emma Luniewicz, Noa Sreden, Elena Collier-Hezel, Paige Badenhorst, Zara Collisson, Abigail Dent, Ember Larson, Jeri Rhodes
1V4: Lillian Mei, Victoria Cooke, Kathryn Ward, Sarah McKay, Ainslie Evans (coxswain)
2V4: Annaka Draaisma, Madelyn Ball, Lauren Benitez, Delaney Evans, Darien Moses (coxswain)
3V4: Taylor Toudouze, Megan Hinkle, Aubrey Fitts, Tara Flaherty, Kayla Ehrlich (coxswain)
1N8: Faith Bridgeman (coxswain), Elle Caton, Isabel Mezei, Katie Lucken, Brooke Gietzen, Olivia Olk, Julia Casey, Hawthorne Haywood, Olivia Krum
2N8: Caitlin Dusenbury (coxswain), Chloe Pulick, Lauren Langley, Olivia McMullen, Ashley Veldheer, Lily Pence, Annika Ehrlacher, Kate Kikilo, Sophie Rallis
Players Mentioned
